Homer's obsession with Lenny's new plasma TV causes Marge to enter the family into a sweepstakes where they win a prize to the FOX Lot.  Against Marge's judgment, Homer signs the family up for a "Trading Spouses" type show and is forced to take in a controlling wife, while Marge moves in with a beaten down husband Charlie (guest-star Ricky Gervais) and his perfect son. Charlie quickly develops a crush on Marge while she is just trying to give him the strength to stand up to his own wife.

Anything that Ricky writes, I watch. He has a great sense of timing, and the subject matter he chooses to deal with is always unique and interesting. Having him write an episode of his favorite show, you know it will be great.

Below is the transcript of the entire one hour conference call. Listening to him speak on a variety of subjects, I was blown away. He comes across as incredibly sincere and modest, which is very rare in this day and age. Some of the interesting revelations from the call were

• He is writing an upcoming episode of the American version of The Office, which will be airing next season.
• His children’s book Flanimals is currently being adapted into a claymation project.
• He is currently writing the next season of Extras, which will begin production in June and air on the BBC and HBO this fall.
• He wrote a love song for his episode of The Simpsons, which he said was the worst love song ever.
• The podcasts that he has been doing have been too popular, and they got a huge bill due to how many times they have been downloaded, which is why they are going to have to start charging for the future podcasts. He did promise they are doing at least four more.
• He is in Christopher Guests’ new movie For Your Consideration.

If you read the transcript below, I really think you’ll see why Ricky is loved by so many people. Here is a quote from the transcript that pretty much sums up his attitude.

“And at the moment, I’ve gone to a place, remarkably where I’m cherry picking jobs and I’m cherry picking jobs that are my heroes.  They’re my heroes; Christopher Guest and The Simpson’s, it’s ridiculous.  I don’t let ego take over.  If someone tells me I can be the romantic lead, I explain why I can’t.  It’s always very flattering.  I think this is where a lot of actors make their mistake, because they fall victim of vanity, and I know exactly what I’m good at and what I’m not.  I also don’t want to be just an actor per se.  It doesn’t excite me to see my fat face on the screen.  What excites me is the creative process and bringing something into the world that maybe only I could have done.  That’s what excites me, the creative process, and so that’s why my favorite thing at the moment is the Podcast.”

Now let me present the brilliant David Brent… I mean Ricky Gervais.

Moderator      Our first question will come from Brook Fisher with the Wireless Flash News.  Please go ahead.

B. Fisher        Hello, Ricky.

R. Gervais      Hello.

B. Fisher        How are you today?

R. Gervais      Great.  This is like the future.  Press star, hush.  You never have to meet anyone else again.

B. Fisher        I know.  It’s amazing.  I just found out that you have the same birthday as my mother, the 25th of June.

R. Gervais      That’s correct.

B. Fisher        That must be why I like you so much.  Well, my dear, I don’t know if you’re aware, but you are a sextuple threat because you can write, you can direct.  You can act, sing, play guitar and you dance like nobody’s business.  So I wouldn’t be surprised—

R. Gervais      You were struggling to make up a sixth there, weren’t you?

B. Fisher        No.  That was six, right?  Write, direct, sing, play guitar—

R. Gervais      That’s what I mean, if you’re putting the dancing in.

B. Fisher        No, no, no, no.  Actually, I spoke to, do you know who Nigel Lithgow is who—

R. Gervais      Oh, he’s the guy behind Pop Idol.

B. Fisher        So you think he can dance?

R. Gervais      Oh, yes.  He used to be a choreographer, didn’t he?  This is the second—

B. Fisher        Yes.  So I asked him to rate your performance, your little dance scene in The Office, and you got good marks.

R. Gervais      Really?  Wow.

B. Fisher        Yes.  So I wouldn’t be surprised if you actually drew this episode of The Simpson’s, so I guess my question is, did you?  And if not, do you think you could?

R. Gervais      Well, I could now, but all the hard work has been done, isn’t it, by the creative process.  I think you can always envy like something that’s been before, the geniuses coming up with something that hasn’t been done before.

B. Fisher        But do you draw?  Do you doodle?  Are you—

R. Gervais      Yes, well I created a series of my own cartoons called Flanimals, which is like a children’s book on children and, I don’t know, delinquent teenagers and mentally challenged adults.  Yes, it’s just bizarre creatures.  It’s sardonic in a good way.  It deconstructs sort of nature and every one of them dies ironic deaths.  They’re just strange creatures and that’s also going to be a TV series as well in—

B. Fisher        Is this for children?

R. Gervais      That’s right.

B. Fisher        Okay.  Are you happy with the way you were drawn or portrayed on The Simpson’s? 

R. Gervais      No, I’m having it withdrawn.  Yes, I would have been happy with anything they did because The Simpson’s to me is the greatest TV comedy of all time.  I’m in awe of it and have been for at least ten years.  When I first got into comedy, my ambition was to get a joke on The Simpson’s, so writing and staring in one is ridiculous for me. 

But it’s got everything; it’s funny, it never forgets to be funny, it’s wickedly satirical.  It’s like one of the greatest Trojan horses for the best satire I think on television at the moment.  When they nail a joke, they put it to bed.  You might as well not visit that particular avenue of observation again because they’ve done it best.  And it’s warm, it’s got heart and Homer is the greatest comic creation since Laurel and Hardy.

B. Fisher        Oh, wow.  Well, I think then you might have answered my last question.  I realize The Office has made it over here in the States and I heard that it might go the France as Le Bureau--

R. Gervais      Yes, they’ve made it.  I think it’s being shown this year in France.  Yes, The Office is quite a crazy success story, really.

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